Deepings run into title contenders at Sileby Town

DRUFC vs SILEBY TOWN - MATCH REPORT : PHYSICAL FIRST TEST FOR THE GREEN MACHINE!!

The Deeping rugby club first team travelled to leicester based side Sileby town with high hopes
for their first league game of the season. After a positive pre season which has seen a large
turnout to training most sessions and a good win against spalding 2's last weekend. The new
captain Lance Charity and coach Nic Coupland building a nice platform within the team to have
a strong season!

It was an explosive start to the game with both sides putting pressure on and making crunching tackles to try
and clinch control in the opening 10 minutes. After conceding a few careless penalties, deeping were forced
back into their own 22 defending a line out which consequently led to the first sileby try of the day through their
effective catch and drive. The pressure was then on the deeping side who were playing some attractive rugby
going forward but a few careless passes and dropped balls meant sileby were able to withstand the pressure
and soon turn it back on deeping pinning them back to their own 5 metre line. After being warned deeping then
suffered a team penalty, Fraser Leiper yellow carded for not rolling away. A penalty try to sileby followed after
a big drive off their scrum was stopped illegally. The first half was full of crunching tackles from the likes of vice
captain Phil Trotman, Gareth Silverwood, Daniel 'tank' O'connell and Fraser Leiper . Some good work
around the breakdowns from the biggies up front and the backs making their tackles and trying to gain field
position when the ball came out to them, which wasn’t very often. First half finished 14-0.

An excellent start for deeping in the second half retrieving posession from the kick off and putting the pressure
straight on the home side with some physical and effective phases and line breaks, which led to deepings first
score of the day through the man mountain second row James Clarke , him and fellow second row James
'Haymaker' Hayward providing the punch up front. 14-5. Deeping were unable to turn that score into
momentum though and sileby soon had a scrum in the deeping 22, which they scored their 3rd try off a blind
side move which saw them put in down in the corner. 21-5. In the following 10 minutes there was sustained
pressure from the deeping side with some good kicks from new fly half Dan Young . It got the away side some
good field position and following a simple but effective hands move through the backs line, the ball was then
bought back inside for the forward runners, James Clarke hitting the ball at pace and bursting through for his
second try of the game! 21-12.

This was the point where Deeping had to take control of the game, with time running out and the momentum with them they had to capitalise. But unfortunately there were not able to. A very good kick from another needless penalty meant deeping were again defending a lineout on their own 5 metre which sileby scored from taking the game out of reach of the visitors. 28-12. Five minutes later and they were back in the same place, and again could not defend the strong sileby catch and drive conceding another try in the corner. 33-12. A positive finish to the game for Deeping though as they found themselves with a lineout in the opposition 22, a good catch and drive, drew the sileby defence in. After a few explosive attacking phases, including forwards and backs, the ball was met by Garth Silverwood thundering down the middle smashing his way through for deepings 3rd and final try. 33-17.

In all, there were plenty of positives to take from the game for deeping. First starts for Fraser Leiper, Charles
Whaley, Connor Barnes. Good performances from Lance Charity,Lewis Cannell, Kelvin Squires, Matty
Morton and even Nathan Pound lasted 80 minutes!! Too many silly penalties and not being able to keep the
driving maul out ultimately lost the game. More hard graft at training for the Deeping side in preperation for a
big local derby at home this coming weekend against Stamford college. GREEN MACHINE!!!!!

Read more at: spaldingtoday.co.uk/sport/rugby